


Ill-Intentioned

by paperclipbitch



Category: Hamlet - Shakespeare, SHAKESPEARE William - Works
Genre: Angst, F/M, Implied Child Abuse, Incest, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 07:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6648304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperclipbitch/pseuds/paperclipbitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When her brother is in France, he writes erratic letters that do not seem to feel the need to explain what he is doing or why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ill-Intentioned

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted on LJ June 2010] I have so many feelings about Laertes and Ophelia, so obviously this was inevitable.

+

She’s her father’s _good_ little daughter.

How could she be anything different?

+

When her brother is in France, he writes erratic letters that do not seem to feel the need to explain what he is doing or why. 

_I miss you_ , he leaves at the end. And: _with all my love_.

Ophelia reads them so many times that the words seem to fade as they imprint themselves onto her mind. 

She does not write _please save me from father; he will not let me out_. She does eventually write _our prince Hamlet is showing an interest in me. His smile is like sunshine._

Her brother writes to their father, and says that he is coming home for a visit.

+

Ophelia keeps her eyes downcast, because of course she is chaste and obedient and she is afraid of the consequences if she should deviate even slightly from this. Prince Hamlet paints pictures with words, darting from thought to thought like an intricate dance that Ophelia cannot join in with for fear of stumbling.

She folds his letters up and keeps them hidden beneath her bed. She is not entirely certain who she is hiding them from.

Prince Hamlet’s laughter makes her blush; somehow all this is more difficult with him.

+

“You must take care,” Laertes tells her. “You must be on your guard.”

His fingers are tight around her wrist, his dark eyes bright.

Ophelia honestly does not know who is talking about, and when he swallows and his gaze flickers over her, she realises that her brother is not sure either.

+

She thinks that this is wrong, his expression by candlelight, but he has always retained too much distance and lectured her too long and too hard.

Ophelia shivers when his fingers entwine with hers, but she doesn’t pull away.

+


End file.
